Manufacture of threaded containers



March 2, 1943. F. A. PARKHURST 2,313,031"

MANUFACTURE OF fHREADED CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 16, 1938 I INVENTOR r lrl ogl vbfl Par/Mani a ATTORNEY acetals, styrenes and acrylates.

\ Patented Mar. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE? MANUFACT UltE CONTAINERS Frederic A. Parkhurst, Suffield, Conn, assignor to f .Mousanto Chemical Company, a corporation of Application Septemberlfi, 1938, Serial Nola 30,224

'Thisinvention relates .to the manufacture from organic plastics of containers having threads at one end. The particular type of containers with which this inventionde'als are those having approximately parallel sides with no enand the vinyl type resins such as the vinyl may also be applied to thermo-setting resins such as the urea-formaldehyde and phenol- My invention Basically my process is one involving pressing the plastic material with-heat, as distinguished "from the type of operation in which a mandrel is dipped into a solution to form a coating which later is dried. The pressing operation gives a better product substantially free from ublow holes and also avoids the expense and risk attendant upon solvent removal. d

When molding a threaded article of the type with which this case deals, the obvious way of forming the die is to make a mold cavity intwo pieces so that it can be opened after the article has hardened. This however detracts from the appearance of the finished article and if the plastic is softened to the point where it flows 'arate tool is preferable.- 1

sufliciently to make the very thin walls required (as for example by a flexible tube) its penetration is so great that it is very difficult to prevent a split mold from leaking.

I have overcome this diiflculty by using a onepiece mold cavity .and by giving aparticular shape to the article to be formed so that it can easily be cleared from the mold. This novel feature consists in forming the exteriorof the piece of true circular cross section except for the threaded portion and by so shaping the interior of the article that driving lugs are formed on the inside walls by which it may be grippedandrotated. While these lugs may run up and down the sides as far as desired, it will ordinarily be found preferable to form them by ap-'- propriately shaping the end of the plunger so that the lugs are formed bydirect pressure 7 walls flexible.

One of the problemsof making thin walled articles by a pressing. operation arises from the,

difilculty of freeing thearticle from either. the plunger or the mold; and my present invention obviates this difllculty. In carrying out the .op-'

eration the molding compound or powder is put in the mold and heated and pressed in the usual manner. When the molded article is hardened, as by cooling in the caseof thermoplastic inateriahthe plunger is withdrawn by a "straight pull and readily frees itself from the molded, article which. is held positively in the mold bythe external threads.- The article can then easily be freed from the mold by inserting an appropriate tool down into itpto 'engagethe driving'lugs formedin its interior. By rotating this tool, the article is simultaneously loosened from the mold'walls and unscrewed from the threaded portion of themold. The original plunger may be used for thispurposebut a sepi- This invention can readily beunderstood by reference .tothe accompanying drawing, in

which Fig. 1 shows a side view of -,aflexible tube embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an end view 'and Fig. 3 a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In this case the, driving lugs are designated by the letter L and are in the form ofribs running all the way from the side walls to the opening through the usual threaded tip. This tube will ordinarily be molded in gang molds with} the "threaded ends down. After the removali'of 1 the'plungers, appropriate tools having slots to receive the lugs L are inserted and the tubes;

are loosened and unscrewed from the molds. Usually a thin film as indicated "at F will close the threaded end but this can easily be removedi' It is understood, of course, that the shape and position of the driving lugs can be modified at will so longas they are inside the article and do not interfere with the directremoval of the plunger. For example, the lugs might cover most of the end of the tube leaving only small grooves between them, giving the appearance of a thickened end with notches formed in it.

y In the case of a bottle with approximately uniform internal diameter, outside threads can be molded around the mouth and the driving lugs can be formed by grooves or projections in 2 the bottom. In any case, the article formed must have a truly circular cross section on the outside so that'it can be rotated in the mold cavity and be free from threads or other form or undercuts, on the inside which would interiere with the mold plunger being removedxby. a direct draw.

What I claim is:

l. A container of molded organic plastic material which when molded has external threads but which otherwise is circularin external cross section and which is providedwitha plurality pi internal driving lugs and is free from internal undercuts said driving lugsbeing arrangedaround the axis of the container and radial length and having substantial thickness so that they will resist shear when used for unscrewing the container from themold cavityin which it ,2. A ontainer, s defined" in claim 1 m which the driving lugs are form'edonthat end oisaid container on which "said: external threads are located.

3AA collapsible .tube

threaded externallyi to receive a ,capbut surrounding such orifice saidprojectlons being arranged around the axis of the tube and. having substantial] radial length and having substantial thickness so thatthey will resist shear when used for unscrewing the tubeirom the mold cavity in which it is formed. v

4. The method of molding thin waned con- ;tainers of' Or anic plastic material which comprises molding such a container in a cavity mold adapted to form external threads ona portion of the container by a-plunger'adapted to term a plurality of internal driving lugs having substantial radial-length 'andhaving substantial thick- .ness iny'one end of such container but not to form undercuts; removing such plunger by a direct draw while holding the container in the mold cavity by said external threads, and then loosening said container from the mold cavity by rotating' said containerthrough pressure exerted on said driving lugs. I

having substantial of molded flexible organic plastic material haying-a restricted orifice portion" 'smooth on the insideand having :aplurality of,

- inwardly extending projections on the end portion 5. The method lapsible tube entirely 01 organic plastic material comprising pressing withja plunger;--heated;molding powder of the organic materialin a mold to 5. form the tube withexternal threads.

and a plurality of internal driving ilu'gsfat the threaded end of the tube-having substantial-mi dial length and having substantial 3 thickness, withdrawing said plunger from the molded tube without removing said tube from the mold, and loosening said tube from the mold cavity walls and simultaneously unthreading the threaded end of said tubeifro'rn the mold by pressure applied to said lugs adapted to causethe tube to rotate.

6.- In a method of'forming a thin walled tube of organic plastic material by molding the material in a cavity mold that forms external threads 30 rial in a cavity mold that forms external threads on one .end of the tube and shaping the molded material withan injected plunger that forms a plurality of internal driving lugs having substan- 35 inner surface'of the tube next the threaded portion, .the steps of directly withdrawing the plunger and inserting .a'tool to engage said lugs and rotating said tube by manipulatingsaid tool to free the tube from the mold.

8. .A tube composed exclusively of molded organic plastic-material having a frusto-conical end portion with external threads and a plurality of internal driving lugs having substantial radial lengthand substantial thickness and an integral 45 body portion of circular cross section.

FREDERIC PARKHURST.

of forming a thin walled mlat one end tial radial length and substantial thickness on the 

